Corner fastener



April 13, 1954 J- L. DAILY CORNER FASTENER Filed Sept. 16, 1948 Fig.

Inventor John L. Daily Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CORNER. FASTENER John L. Daily, Johnstown, Pa.

Application September 16, 1948, Serial No. 49,595

3 Claims.

This is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 701,816 filed October '7, 1946, maturing into Patent No. 2,451,811.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved building structure through the utility of obviating conventional corner studs in building walls and substituting clips in lieu thereof.

Another object of this invention is to maintain the free ends of wall panels or members as well as ceiling panels or members in rather firm fixed position relative to each other, while allowing for thermal expansion and contraction of the actual wall members, plaster and other elements pertinent thereto..

Another object of this invention is to provide a wall clip for use in a wall structure which obviates the corner studs behind the wall panel at the junction thereof, which clip is composed substantially of a pair of intersecting members of resilient material, having an angle included therebetween which is greater than the angularity of the wall panels whereby resiliency is afiorded when the ends of the clip members are anchored in place, due to the necessarily resulting spacing of the clip in the region of the intersection of the members and the junction of the wall panels.

Another object of this invention is to anchor the ends of the clip in the wall panels by means of sharp bent terminal portions having with respect to the clip members, an angle greater than the angularity of the wall panels which is approximately 135 degrees.

Another purpose of this invention is to provide a wall structure having means incorporated with the corner thereof for preventing a crack from creeping the entire height of the room once the crack is initiated.

Another purpose of this invention is tosupply for use in a wall structure having panels of composition material and the like, a clip which acts in the nature of an expansion joint permitting the said clip to ride with the creep of not only the plaster but also the studs behind the plaster, there being no positive bond between the studs and the clip or the studs and the innermost corner of the wall panels, roof panels etc. forming the corner. Another purpose of this invention is to anchor the ends of the clip members to panels or Wall members by means of bent end portions which are embedded in the panels or wall members whereby the bent end portions act similar to a cam when a trowel is passed thereover as when applying plaster, thus preventing the jarring and loosening of the clips after they have been set in position and while the plastering is taking place.

Another purpose of this invention is to provide a device for performing the abovementioned functions which is extremely inexpensive and which may assume several modified shapes and forms.

Ancillary objects and features of novelty will become apparent to those skilled in the art, in following the description of the preferred form of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fiat view of the preferred form of the invention before the bends are placed therein and showing a crease line in the center thereof, whereon the device is adapted to be bent;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Figure l, the apertures therein being obviated for clarity;

Figure 3 is an enlarged View of the clip showing the application to a wall junction, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line i-4 of Figure 3 and in the direction of the arrows, showing the wall structure without studs at the junction of the wall members or panels, this view omitting the illustration of apertures in the device for clarity purposes. v

This invention involves a structure which is extremely simplified. A pair of conventional wall members or wall panels It and [2 respectively are shown in Figures 3 and 4, they being in themselves conventional. For illustrative purposes composition board panels are shown however, it is understood that other types of panels or wall members may be used in conjunction with the present device.

It is conspicuously obvious from inspection of Figure 4 that there are no studs which are normal and conventional in wall structures, particularly at the corners. It is thought that the corners of a room, as between adjacent walls or a wall and a ceiling, have to be built up by means of joined studs for support of the wall and also to prevent cracking. This manner of inhibiting cracks and preventing the travel thereof is disposed of by utility of the clip shown in Figures 1 and 2. In the wall structure disclosed in the present invention, there are no studs at the junction of the wall panels or wall members. The studs are only remotely positioned with respect to the corner.

Noting Figure 1 it will be seen that a pair of intersecting clip members I l and it respectively are illustrated. These clip members may be formed integral as a single unit, but are preferably sp-ot welded or brazed as seen at it. It has been found that by spot welding or brazing, preferably the former, material saving in the cost of production is realized.

The crease line 20 extends to one side of the spot weld position and both members are adapted to be bent along that line, to form an included an angle between the sides of the members substantially greater than degrees. Accordingly, after the resilient clip members 14 and it are bent substantially along the crease line 23, the device shown in Figure 2 (in the absence of bent end portions) results.

It is of material importance that the included angle between the clip members exceeds 90 degrees, when the conventional wall panel junction angle is substantially 90 degrees.

Of course, when wall panels are joined at other angles, such as 135 degrees by way of example, the clip members must be bent so that the included angle therebetween exceeds 135 degrees. This spaces the clip in the region of the bent portion from the junction of the walls whereby the inherent resiliency of the materials utilized may be called upon to compensate for thermal expansions and contractions of-notonly the wall boards 19 and 1'2 but also of the plaster which is to be applied thereon subsequently.

Fastening means for anchoring the clip members in position is provided. The preferred fastening means includes sharp'end portions 24 of each clip member i i and it Each of the'end portions 2d are identical in structure and angularity. The preferred angularity of the bent fastening ends 24 of the clip members 24 and I6 is 135 degrees with relation to the said clip members. However, it is essential only that the-bent end portions 24 exceed in angularity the angularity of the intersecting wall panels I and 12 at their junction.

The greatest field of utility of the present device is in conjunction with walls which intersect at 90 degrees. It is well known that the usual and conventional angularity between wall panels is 90 degrees at the corners of-a room or the like. Therefore, for illustrative purposes, the junction of the wall panels is shown at 90 degrees. Accordingly, the operation of the invention will be discussed on the hypothesis that the junction between panels 10 and i2 is substantially 90 degrees.

The described clip having clip members at an included angle greater than 90 degrees is simply placed in the corner and pressed forward gently. This squeezes the clip members together in such condition that the included angle decreases to approximately 90 degrees. Then, the clip is simply released and the potential energy stored therein by forcing the clip members together slightly, urges the clip outwardly of the junction of the wall members 10 and 12 thereby embedding the anchoring means 24 within the Wall panels or members it and 12. This is all that is necessary to attach the device in place It simply remains anchored by means of the four point contact (illustrated) of the bent sharp end portions 2%. It is readily appreciated that the angularity of the end portions 24 may vary slightly however, it has been found by constant use that the best or optimum angle to bend the end portions is 135 degrees.

In theabsence of the studs at the junction'of the wall panels or members it and !2, the plaster, boththe rough coat and finish coat, and instances wherein the rough coat is not used, simply the finish coat aswellas the panels 10 and I2 in themselves are simply permitted to contract and expand when the building structure settles and due to thermaloonditions. It is not attempted to prohibit the normal expansion as in conventional structures. Instead, the wall structure which includes the clips shown in the drawings, serve the function ofan expansion joint,-the inherent resiliency of -the-members expanding and contracting with the components of the wall corner. Thus, int-he event that a crack is started, in: the 'wall, it will not creep as in instances wherein it is attempted-to retain the wall componentsrigid.

In practical operation, a plasterer actuates his trowel over the clips. In order to prevent the corners of the trowel or the edges thereof from loosening clips during the application of plastter, the cam-like portions necessarily produced by the bent ends of the clip members serve the function of a cam, guiding the trowel smoothly thereover.

It is seen that a number of apertures is provided in the clip members l4 and Hi. These apertures are used for the lowermost and/or uppermost portions of a corner in a building structure in order to nail the device in place. This is of importance adjacent the base board of a conventional room, where reinforcing is used.

While there has been described and illustrated but a preferred form of the invention, it is apparent that variations such as forming the entire device of a single piece in lieu of the two spot welded pieces, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. For use in a corner of a wall structure which includes a pair of wall members disposed at substantially right angles to eachother, a clip comprising a pair of resilient intersecting clip members each having inner and outer surfaces, said members being bent at their intersection a predetermined amount and having an included angle substantially greater. than ninety degrees, fastening means operatively connected with said clip members adapted to attach within the material of the wall members at points spaced from the junction of said wall members, and said fastening means including pointed end portions of said clip members which make an included angle with said outer surfaces of less than 180 and more than 2. The combination of claim 1 and said pointed end portions having an included angle of substantially one hundred thirty-five degrees with relation to the outer surfaces of said clip members.

3. A building wall corner clip comprising a pair of intersecting clip members composed of resilient material, said members having outer surfaces and inner surfaces and a bend at their intersection forming an included angle between said inner surfaces substantially greater than ninety degrees, and fastening means associated with said clip members, comprising sharp bent end portions of said clip members having an included angle greater than ninety degrees with respect to the outer surfaces of said clip members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 396,126 White Jan. 15, 1889 1,751,050 Nilsson Mar-18, 1930 1,908,166 Moore May 9, 1933 2,101,952 Olsen Dec. 14-, 1937 2,123,889 Gleason July 19,1938 2,234,701 Lyman Mar. 11, 1941 2,316,424 I-Iasenburger Apr.'13, 1943 2,352;002 Olsen June 20, 1944 2,451,811 ;Daily Oct.'19, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 429,917 Great Brita-in Junell, 1935 

